Ciara McCartan MMus Perf, ATCL

Ciara graduated from the conservatoire of music and Drama, DIT in 2016 with a Masters in Music Performance in Vocal Studies. Prior to that she studied singing at the Royal Irish Academy of Music.

Since 2017 she has been working as an educator teaching musicianship and singing as well as conducting the children's choir at the Junior Academy of Music, QUB and privately teaching singing at The Ulster College of Music Belfast and the newly founded Moira School of Singing.

Ciara has been a chorus member of NI Opera and performed solo recitals in Dublin, Armagh, and Lisburn and as recitalist for DIT graduation ceremonies. Her choral involvement includes The Belfast Philharmonic Choir and BBC Singers. She performs regularly at weddings and engagements and is looking forward to performing Music from her FTCL repertoire.

Tristan Russcher BA (Oxon) FRCO A.Mus.A

Tristan is one of the leading keyboard musicians on the island of Ireland. Born in Australia, he moved to England to read music as organ scholar at Worcester College, Oxford. He moved to Dublin in 2003 as organ scholar at Christ Church and St Patrick’s Cathedral’s. Now living in Belfast, he enjoys a freelance career working with the best musical ensembles on the island.

Tristan is in high demand as a collaborative pianist, having worked with the Royal Irish Academy of Music, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra, Sestina and the Ulster Orchestra. He has performed as piano soloist in major concerti by Bach, Beethoven, Gershwin, Grieg, Mozart and Shostakovich. He is fortunate to work closely with both NI Opera and the Choral Scholars of University College Dublin as a regular accompanist, répétiteur and vocal coach. 

As an organist Tristan has worked extensively in the Anglican cathedrals in Dublin and Belfast and was Assistant Director of Music at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin from 2007 to 2010. He has performed as organ soloist in major orchestral works by Duruflé, Handel, Leighton, Poulenc, Rheinberger, Saint-Saens and Widor. In 2012 he became only the seventh person to perform Francis Pott's epic two-hour organ symphony Christus, considered by many to be the 'Everest' of the organ repertoire, and gave the Northern Ireland premiere on the Mulholland organ in the Ulster Hall in the presence of the composer. He was Director of Music at Saint Bartholomew’s Church, Dublin from 2011 to 2021, leading a choir of over fifty singers at services and concerts and on national and international tours. He has broadcast with RTÉ Lyric FM and BBC Radio 3 and Radio 4 and recorded with numerous CD labels including Hyperion, Oxrecs, Priory and Signum.